Two Films Distributed by MAD Solutions Take Part in the Annual Goethe Institute Film Week

Two Films Distributed by MAD Solutions Take Part in the Annual Goethe Institute Film Week

Two films from among the MAD Solutions distribution lineup will participate in the annual Goethe Institute Film Week. The Saudi feature film Barakah Meets Barakah by director Mahmoud Sabbagh will be screened at the Jesuit Cultural Center in Alexandria on May 4th, alongside several screening events in Aswan, Menya, Damanhur, and Ismailia. The screening times will be determined at a later date. Director Iman Kamel's film Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc, for the first time in Egypt, will screen at Goethe Institute in Cairo (Dokki branch) on May 2nd, in addition to a screening at Zawya Cinema in Alexandria on May 6th, followed by a discussion with the director.

Goethe Institute Film Week screens a new collection of contemporary German films, both features and documentaries, and organizes special premieres and screenings for Egyptian films in Egypt. This year, it will also discuss topics such as immigration, asylum,the definition of a homeland, revolutions, wars, family and women in society. All of these topics and others will be discussed with filmmakers, experts and the audience.

About Barakah Meets Barakah Barakah Meets Barakah tells the story of two lovers who are united in an environment hostile to dating of any kind. He is Barakah, the municipal civil servant from Jeddah, who is also an amateur actor in a theatrical troupe. She is Barakah, a wild beauty, who functions as a crowd-puller for her stylish mother's boutique and runs her own widely-seen vlog. They both defy customs and traditions, as well as the religious police, using modern communication technologies and traditional dating methods.

Produced by El Housh Productions, Barakah Meets Barakah stars Hisham Fageeh, Fatima Al Banawi, Sami Hifny, Abdulmajeed Alruhaidi and Khairia Nazmi. The film is written and directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh. MAD Solutions, alongside Film Clinic-Indie Distribution (FCID), acquired the Arab world distribution rights to the film.

Barakah Meets Barakah was Saudi Arabia's official submission to the 2017 Academy Awards. The film received a Certificate of Appreciation at the Prospects of Arab Cinema (PAC) programme within the 38th Cairo International Film Festival. The film also took part in the 27th Carthage Film Festival (JCC) and was selected by the 60th BFI London Film Festival (5 - 16 October), run by the British Film Institute (BFI), to compete within the Laugh Gala. Moreover, the film has also been selected to compete in the Special Presentations section at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival following its world premiere at the 66th Berlinale where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize in the Forum section.

About Egyptian Jeanne d'ArcThe documentary film Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc tells the true stories of resistance by Egyptian women since the outbreak of the revolution in 2011 through mythic story elements, poetic narration and dance. The film is directed by Iman Kamel, and co-produced by Nomad's Home Production (Iman Kamel) and Linked Productions (Talal Al-Muhanna). MAD Solutions has acquired the Arab world distribution rights to the film.

Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc competed in the Muhr Feature competition at the Dubai International Film Festival where it landed its world premiere. It was also nominated for the 2013 Arab-German Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation in Germany. The film was presented at pitching and co-production forums such as Africa Produce (Spain), and Amiens Screenplay Development Fund (France). The film marks Iman's second collaboration with Kuwaiti producer Talal Al-Muhanna.

Screening Times of Barakah Meets Barakah and Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc at Goethe Institute Film WeekSaudi Film Barakah Meets Barakah: Thursday, May 4th at 7:00 pm at the Jesuit Cultural Center in AlexandriaDocumentary film Egyptian Jeanne d'Arc: Tuesday, May 2nd at 7:00 pm at the Goethe Institute in Cairo (Dokki Branch) additional screening held on the roof (same time)Saturday, May 6th at 6:00 pm at Zawya Cinema in Alexandria, followed by a discussion with the film's director Iman Kamel